The invention relates to an innovative use of gelatin and a cross-linking agent for producing a cross-linking medical glue, which forms a cross-linked gelatin gel in an area of application of the human or animal body.
There is a requirement for compositions with adhesive properties, i.e. so-called medical glues, in various areas of medicine. Areas of application of such glues are, for example, fixing tissues, tissue parts or organs in place, also alternatively and/or additionally to surgical suturing, as well as covering or closing wound surfaces or stopping haemorrhaging both internally and externally.
Biodegradable materials, which are degraded after a specific time when the adhesive function is no longer required and resorbed by the body, are primarily suitable as basis for such compositions, which are used in or on the body.
Medical glues are known in practice that comprise different components of human origin and are based on the principle of natural blood coagulation. The main components of such systems are generally thrombin, fibrinogen and blood clotting factor XIII, wherein a solidified gel is formed directly after these components are mixed, i.e. within few seconds. However, in various respects, in particular regarding the kinetics of the gel formation and the viscidity, this gel does not have the desired properties for most applications.
Moreover, when using components of human origin there is a certain risk with respect to the transmission of infectious diseases. Thus, this problem is also posed in the case of the glue composition described in the patent document WO 94/01508 A1, in which a plasma protein or a globular protein is cross-linked with a di- or polyfunctional aldehyde.
Glue systems based on the cross-linkage of bovine serum albumin with glutaraldehyde are also known. However, the use of glutaraldehyde as cross-linking agent poses some problems because of cytotoxic effects.
Document DE 101 52 407 A1 discloses a composition of at least two components, which can be chemically cross-linked with one another for gluing biological tissue, comprising a solution of an amino group-carrying polymer and a solution of an aldehyde with at least three aldehyde groups. Polymers of natural origin such as e.g. deacetylated chitin as well as synthetic polymers are specified as possible amino group-carrying components in this case.